Wilted Petal Of The Wastes
by VaultBoy9193
Summary: Sharon Cassidy has finished her travels with the courier to pursue a new life in a new town she has heard about. Along the way she meets a man named Craig. They also find out about a stash that could earn them a lot of caps. Find out if they make it to Little Bear or not. This is my first story, please read and review.
1. The Beginning

The year is 2284. The world has been devastated by The Great War over 200 years ago now, and Rose of Sharon Cassidy has buried her past to move West in hopes of a peaceful retirement. The Mojave has left a bitter taste in her mouth that whiskey wont change. She got word of a small settlement that's been thriving and living in a safe environment for some time called Little Bear. She is soon to head out with or without her companion of 3 years The Courier.

"Im just saying Cass, I cant just up and leave the Mojave. I understand you want me to come with you-"

"Escort..." Cass said interrupting.

"Excuse me?"

"Escort... You would be escorting me. If not, its fine I understand... You dont have to..."

"Cass... Im sorry... At least take my Hunting Revolver... Please?"

She sighs and looks at the floor, her wavy red hair now covering her face.

"Okay... Thank you Jack... You know I have enjoyed the past 3 years... Hell we only fucked once an there was no emotional crap afterwards. Most guys that I screw wind up screwing ME over harder. But no, you enjoyed me an left it at that. Just the way I like it." She chuckles about it but reminisces fondly.

Cass met Jack at the Mojave Outpost when he was in search of work before getting involved with Strip business. They traveled together and salvaged for 2 years after a long battle with Viper Gang Members, trying to break into their safehouse. 2 months ago, she met a trader heading to a settlement called Little Bear. A small trading post/community that was established almost 20 years ago, 2265, that has been living safely in a small valley in California. The property is the only spot that is not enforced by NCR. They are on good terms, but they want to be independent from the NCR.

"Well Cass, I wish you a safe journey... I am so sorry."

"Really Jack, it's okay. I hope that you and that girl work out. You should visit me sometime..." Cass said. Trying to hold back any sign that she wanted him to go with her. Cass had always felt a connection to Jack, but he was just not what she wanted as a serious partner. Love was hard to feel in the wastes at this point. Only small regions were progressing so most of the U.S was still just bombed out depleted remains. So with that, having a true loved one only put people off, for they never knew when tomorrow would be their last.

Having a long hug and shedding a tear, Cass turns the last page of her Mojave chapter and opens a new page to her long adventure ahead.

She had a friend on the northwest edge of the Mojave that had been helping Doctor Henry at Jacobstown. Cass had talked to Jamie, she was going to give her a map to Little Bear along with Whiskey supplies. She got to Jacobstown and got the supplies along with a few stimpacks and doctors bags. While leaving, she heads north to make the last stop on her departure from the Mojave. A small dive, Janes Bar & Barrel. A pun at the fact that she cooks over a burn barrel and not a grill.

"Cass is that you? Jesus babe what happened?" Jane shouted as she approached the old barn.

"What are you talkin about Jane?"

"You look like you aged twice as bad as last time!"

"Well, the sun does that to your skin while out in the wastes when 80% of the ozone is gone now. Ever wonder why your thermometer says 145? Thats not a clock honey..." They cock eye each other for a second before busting out in laughter.

The shot glasses slam on the bar for the 5th time now, both girls smelling of whiskey, and the two are talking about Little Bear.

"I'm telling you Jane... He was so handsome, much better than the usual greaseballs your with." The two girls have a laugh before hearing the raspy voice that could only be spoken by a male ghoul.

"How's a pretty smoothskin like you gonna get to Little Bear?"

"I-21 now that the Long 15 is well... Yeah. Anyway... I'll hit north Cali, then go down..."

"Simpletown?" The ghoul asked.

"Yeah! You been out there?"

"Oh yeah! Its great!" He said optimistically. "Heres a picture of me and my farm." The picture he showed was him in front of a field of corn. In the middle of it was an intact nuclear warhead. The man in the picture was not a ghoul though. It was a regular looking average guy in the same overalls the ghoul had but not tattered and filthy. The ghoul wreaked of a thick coppery odor that they started to smell an hour ago."Apperantly this happened to a town in D.C called Megaton go figure, it just blew one afternoon. I was luckily walking away down the road to head into Little Bear to get steaks for our party. I was a few miles away and I felt a rumble in the earth followed by a deafening bang a second later. Within a matter seconds my flesh was boiling and bubbling, AND THEN the air around me became hot. Hotter than the Mojave out here... What truly hits deep with me, when I left... My son was reading a book in the field sitting with his back up against the warhead. He said that when he sat there his head felt tingly for knowledge. I cant imagine how hot that would've felt for that fraction of a second..."

"Oh my god..." Cass said.

"That's so terrible..." Jane added.

"So... What do I do? What route should I take?"

"I dont know smoothskin, all I know is you need to avoid that hell hole... Deathclaws took over from their caves down in Hells Valley when a herd of burning brahmin ran near the cliffs."

This put a tweak in her plans ahead...

The ghoul paid his tab and left the bar. Cass ordered one more shot of Whiskey before saying her goodbyes and heading to the Vendertron at Gun Runners. She didn't like the idea of just finding her way out in that area. Shes heard that some parts of California that have little to no NCR enforcers are just filled with thieves and rapists. Not an area for a pretty red head to just be wandering. Cass had an eagle eye for aim but that doesn't stop a gang of men jacked up on Jet and Buffout from taking you down and having their way.

She arrived at Gun Runners and purchased an Anti-Material rifle in trade for her Old Caravan Shotgun. A box of 50. Mgs, Hollow points and Incendiary and a 10mm Pistol with ammo.

As she continued on her path to the start of I-21, the sun fell behind the mountain range off in the distance. The Whiskey had begun to wear off and she felt exhausted. She could start to see the bombed out rubble of the freeway on ramp that had a wooden bridge to connect the gaps in the road. She also saw the ruins of a motel. This had become a better option than pulling out the sleeping bag somewhere. Yet something didn't seem right about it. She busts open the door to room 9, her lucky number, and moves the furniture in front of the door. It had a very standard motel setup, but the safe had a screwdriver lodged into the lock. Obviously not a skilled scavenger slumbered before her. She lays on the bed, surprisingly still very comfortable, finishes the rest of her Whiskey flask and drifts off to sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, the air in the room was almost too thick to breathe. But it is much better than having your bags stolen or even worse. After she changes and rinses her face with a bottle of fresh water from Jane, she grabs her bag and straps her new rifle to her back and leaves the motel. She then sees a roaming trader off in the distance. When she stops him to see his wares, he mentions that giving him head gets her half off everything.

"Fuck off dickweed, its not worth 50% off all your junk here."

"Damn sweetie, I like em fiesty."

"Shut up!"

After he leaves, making smart ass remarks still, she remembers that her little trip might become a very dangerous journey. Checking her map, she presses on the interstate until she hits a small village called "Whiskey Creek".

"Well hot damn I could use a drink!" She said out loud to herself. She walks down the road into the towns entrance. The guard, catches her eye with his broad shoulders and mountain man beard.

As she neared the towns gate she could hear him call out his welcome.

"Welcome to Whiskey Creek! Trading or drinking?"

"Well... Unless you trade arms, I'm just looking to get hammered... You know... Tie one on?" As she forces a nervous chuckle.

"Well right in the middle of town is The Pub, along with the surrounding homes and such you can find Doctor Chavez, Winston our trader, and I am the town guard from sunrise to sunset. My name is Craig. And you are..."

"Cass..." She said, while being struck with a sudden urge to just flat out ask him if he is taken. "What do you do after sunset?"

"I usually slam a dozen shots, tell a story or two about my days in D.C... Then just kinda wind down and stumble home to try an sleep as much as possible until Butch wakes me up. The night guard. He keeps to himself usually. Use to be into some crazy shit but now lives here. Funny though, this is a town for drinking but I think I have seen him drink only maybe once since he showed up here. That's when I heard his story. Dont ask him."

"Okay... Well... Is there a way I can stay the night here?" Craig's eyebrow raises.

"Well... How bout I meet you at The Pub just after sunset and we'll talk." He winked at her as she forced herself to walk into town.

As she walked through what seemed to be a nice little piece of land, she can't help but wonder why she was so nervous around Craig. It wasn't just his looks. She has been around her fair share of eye candy and never once felt like that before. She just brushed it off as not having the liquid courage in her like usual and pressed on towards a big sign that simply read, The Pub. But before she got there she noticed an old black fellow with racks of guns, and quite the assortment of essentials for even the longest journey.

"Well hello there Miss, Names Winston." He said in a chipper southern drawl.

"Cass!" She replied holding her hand out to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Cassidy." He raised her hand to his lips for a peck which showed his true character as a friendly old gentleman, not just your average trader that is trying to squeeze as much caps out of you as possible. "I do declare, you are mighty gorgeous Miss Cassidy, do you have a man?"

"No... But I am sorry to say I am not in the market for one. I have a lot to do before I go settling down." She said trying not to blush.

"Awwww shucks Miss Cassidy, my old ass could be your daddy, I was just saying I never see gals like you roaming these wastes without SOME sort of a man by their side. You must be oooooone tough cookie!" He said starting to laugh before coughing as if he was going to collapse a lung. "Sorry bout that, the dust kills me out here, now what can I do for ya?"

"Well I don't need a gun, but how much for that knife over there?"

"It's yours, strangely enough I named it Cassidy myself when I first got a hold of her years ago. And everyone lately has been only asking me for them damned microfusion cells. I am just a brother, and the only steel around me is the steel of the good ol weapons that don't take no batteries. So nobody has been interested in the knives an such."

"Well thank you Winston, but here is 100 caps just give me a couple of water bottles, rest is yours."

"And thank you Miss Cassidy, don't be a stranger now ya hear?"

"I won't!" Cass said as she turned and headed for a much needed drink. Though Winston sure made her day having a Combat Knife to replace the one her dad left her. She had gotten it stolen one night after a late night at a random tavern in the Mojave. She walked in The Pub and could almost smell the alcohol immediately as her mouth began to water.

"What's yer poison ma'am?" A young bartender asked as she took a stool.

"Straight Whiskey, leave the bottle and a glass please." She said as she smacked a handful of caps on the bar.

"Keep 'em." He said. "Newcomers have the first dozen or so rounds on the house."

"What is with everyone giving shit away around here?" Cass said with a smirk.

"Well we can spare lots of things around here what with all the drifters that come through. And we like to be generous so that they come back and spend what they earn from their travels see?" The bartender looked friendly still, though his tone sounded as if he was a little offended.

"Well hell, I think I am gonna like it here. Though I am passing through and might not be back for quite some time. Heading to Little Bear." Cass said slamming the shot back as if it had been days since her last taste.

"I have a friend down there, he really likes it. And no wonder, if it wasn't for my better half here I would have stayed last year." The bartender said scooting the caps back toward Cass.

"I have only heard good things. Thank you by the way, I really enjoy the hospitality." She said with a smile. Even though she had just made it outside what was claimed as the "Mojave", it was almost an instant change of people and attitude. The air even seemed different.


	2. The Beginning: 2

After meeting and trading stories with other various people in The Pub, Cass notices the sun about to set behind the mountain overlooking Whiskey Creek. She could not wait for Craig to walk through the door that she now began to glance at several times a minute. Though, she still didn't understand why. She also started to worry that she was a little too tipsy after a few hours of drinking so she decided she would wait to order more until he showed up. Which was another first for her.

After about thirty minutes or so the door swung open. She stopped midsentence with George, a drifter from D.C, and looked to see Craig walking in with his head held high, and blood on his shirt and hands that was not there hours before.

"Make me a stiff one Jimmy!" He yelled across the bar as he strutted to the bar in a heroic sort of way. "And keep them coming... Cass? Where is the new girl?"

"Over here!" She yelled trying to contain her excitement. "What the hell happened out there?"

"Let me tell ya it was the most action I have seen in MONTHS!" He said walking toward Cass but speaking loudly so the whole bar could here. Another man switched off the jukebox so he wasn't competing with it. "I was standing at my post, and I saw a group of what seemed to be normal guys heading my way. As they got closer I noticed they were ghouls. About eight of them. I then noticed only two of them seemed civil. The rest were clearly feral and I didn't know what to think. They approached me and the two leaders began to question what this place was. So I told them exactly what goes on here. The six ferals were loosely chained together, as if they were trained to follow orders. The male leader, goes by Rex, told me he was scouting locations for a ghoul settlement where him and his partner could raise ghouls like a boot-camp. He showed me tricks, he yelled out some raspy noise like another language and the ferals dropped down to their bellies just like trained guards. He shouted another time and they hopped up to their feet without skipping a beat. He then said that of all places, this seemed to be his favorite choice. He wants to irradiate the creek and just basically turn this into a new Camp Searchlight. I have never been there but it is not what we want to happen. I told him he doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of taking this town over. He just laughed and turned to his ghouls, yelled, and then ran with his partner. Before the shackles dropped, I put a bullet in his partners head, then aimed for his, but before I could fire a feral jumped at me. My gun went off but only hit Rex's leg. He fell to the ground but by then I had fearls surrounding me. So I shot and slashed my way through them giving me this pleasant coat of ghoul juice, then as the last one dropped I walked towards that son of a bitch crawling away in the distance. I turned him over with my foot and held my gun to his head. He tried telling me if I let him go we would never see him or another ghoul again but I could tell he was just scared." Craig took a long swig of his drink that had various alcohols mixed into one before finishing the story. "So I pulled my trigger, and there was just a click. I used my last clip minutes before so I got to my knees and strangled the fucker till he quit clawing at me." Cass noticed scratches on his face that were luckily cleaned.

He finished his drink and the bar began to clap and whistle. Cass couldn't stop smiling and blushing. What she found strange was that she was basically staring at the Courier she spent the last three years with except Craig stays in one town and fulfills his duty every day. She knew she liked him but if she could convince him to travel with her to Little Bear it could progress. Or... Maybe she could stay at Whiskey Creek. The booze is cheap, if she takes up a town job she could drink for free, it seemed almost perfect except, it did not feel like home. Perhaps just being on the outside of the Mojave was not far enough. Although there was no saying Little Bear would feel like home either. But she knew in her heart if Little Bear did not pan out, something would come along and keep her. Maybe a town, or maybe someone.

After about an hour, The Pub calmed down and Cass was able to have a solid conversation with Craig.

"So what brings ya through Cass?" Craig asked.

"Well, after a shit storm or two in the Mojave, I decided to leave it all behind and head to Little Bear." She said with a smile.

"Got family out there?"

"No. My family is just me and my arms anymore. Bloodlines are gone and any friends I make just seem to go off on their own paths. So I got word of Little Bear and planned the trip... I wanted my old travel buddy to come along... But he has other plans."

"He?" He asked raising a brow.

"Yeah. Nothing more than friends except one drunken night. Hell of a shot though. He was a good companion but our future plans just kind of clashed you know?"

"Oh I know that one!" He chuckled. "So no escort?"

"Nope. Free woman. But it gets lonely. A lot. What about you?" He looked toward the window and let out a sigh. "Oh! I am sorry if it is not a good subject, it just seemed since you asked me-"

"No its fine. Its just, my fault. I have a lot of regrets. Should have known, should have done things differently." He began to almost tremble as he thought more and more about it. "Cass I am sorry to lay this on you, but I haven't told anyone about what happened and I think it would help now."

"Hell why not. Shoot!"

"Well, It all started when Legonaries came through. They weren't trying to start anything, at first, it was just a group of travelers. They stayed for awhile and drank a little bit surprisingly. Caesar must not have had his eyes on this group very close because they were also trading chems. Anyways, I played a few hands of Caravan with one of them and I bet more than I had thinking I was going to clean him out. But he pulled a fast one and I lost. I told him I didn't have the caps and he became furious as others started to surround me. I told them I woud have the caps in a week, and they told me to have it in three days when they would come back or they would have to even it all out themselves... I tried getting it together but when they came back I was 500 caps short... One Legion member held me at gun point in my own house as they took Charlotte. After a couple minutes I caught him off guard when he looked behind to see the time. I ran after the other guards but in the wrong direction. I saw smoke coming from the other side of the hill. I ran as fast as I could but when I got to the top, I could see about a couple hundred feet away, a makeshift cross on fire. The legion members were nowhere to be found..." That is when he almost broke down. "The worst part is, she was pregnant... Almost through with it too. I would say she would have given birth in less than two weeks." A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Fucking savages... I am so so sorry Craig that is terrible. I cannot stand those fuckers." She held his hand as he reached for another shot.

"Its okay, that is why I drink. It feels better than remembering the good times like I have been told to do. I swear one day, I don't care how long it takes. I am going to get back at the Legion. I know it won't mean much to Caesar but it will mean the world to me."

This was her chance. "Come with me Craig. I promise we will get a chance at those bastards. And I can help you, and you can help me..."

"I don't know... I guess it would be better than staying here, everything reminds me of her... Hell why not, we have a guy that has been training a few weeks, he has to be ready." He finished his last drink and Cass finished her shot. "Well, Davis should still be awake, our town Mayor, sorta, I have to let him know I am going. I will be right back... Did you ever find a spot to stay at tonight?"

"No I got a little carried away with meeting everyone here." She hoped he would take her in.

"Alright well my place is down 2 houses, I will meet you there." He smiled and left The Pub. Cass was extremely excited. She didn't even expect much to happen for awhile. She liked his company and was more happy that someone would be with her for protection. And to top it off he was very handsome. She liked the rugged looking tough guy look, and he looked like he could be a lumberjack.

Craig talked to Davis who was more than understanding about the whole situation. He did not even ask for him to buy out his contract. He told him what was going on, had a couple laughs about Davis' children, shook hands and was on his way. As Craig walked to his house he could see Cass standing outside. He had never even thought about other women since Charlotte was killed. He told himself there was no point because he thought of her as his one true love. But that could all change while spending a long time with someone and he knew that. But all in good time. He was not anxious about anything except getting revenge on the legion.

The two entered Craig's house, took a shot, then sat on the couch. His house was very bare. A couch, a table, fridge, dresser and bed. Something told Cass he had more but didn't want the memories. They talked for awhile before eventually passing out in their spots on the couch.


	3. The Journey

The morning sun peered in through the window and Cass opened her eyes to a blinding light that seemed to come too early. She glanced at her watch an saw it was only five thirty. Far too early to be up. But she noticed Craig was not there. She heard the shower running and remembered he starts his shift at sunrise. She might have to get used to that.

He came out of the bathroom dressed and had his bag packed. He asked if she would like a shower as well. Cass agreed and stripped down. He politely covered his eyes though she saw him peek before she closed the door. Every bit of her wanted him to join, but she did not know how he would react knowing it was the same shower he shared with his late wife. After a good hot scrub, she changed into her spare outfit and neatly rolled the old into her bag.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." They finished the last couple shots of last nights bottle and headed out. "Don't you want to say goodbye to anyone?"

"Nah. I am not one for that happy trails crap. It gets emotional with some folk and I swear its bad luck." She laughed as she followed him to the bridge out of town. "So which way are we headed?" He asked.

"Well first lets head west a ways. I know there is a small town a few hours away and we can get some food." She replied.

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way Cass."

After about an hour or so of walking they find the remains of what seemed to be a large scale house. Only a couple of walls were still intact, the rest is just frames and shingles scattered about. They decide to look into it. They find a large safe in the ground that would have been a floor safe. Craig was master at picking locks and he got it open in a matter of seconds. Inside they found stacks of pre-war money. Nobody takes it as currency, though some vendors will pay a lot of caps for nostalgic items like this. Also inside was a few boxes of 50 MG bullets which came to good use for Cass' Anti-Material Rifle. Amongst the rubble were pre-war outfits and other various boxes of food and cookware. Not much anything of use to them until Craig opened a desk drawer and found a note.

'_Dear Margaret_

_This is the hardest thing I have ever had to write to you. The bombs will be falling soon. I have been approved for the Vaults but they have denied your entrance. I tried everything I could to get you in but they will not allow it. I am very VERY sorry. But the good news is, I have prepared a shelter for you and our new son. I have installed a Mister Gutsy that will be fully capable of handling the delivery. Everything will be fine. There is food to last several years along with all the newborn to toddler essentials. I will find some way to you as soon as I can. I have plans of leaving the Vault after the blasts. It will be dangerous but not impossible since I have the right equipment already on hand. The only problem is once I leave there is no coming back. I trust you will be there by the time I get there. I love you. Please do not resent me for taking the Vault offer. I am doing this for us. I will bring much more supplies with me from there that we simply cannot acquire now. I will see you as soon as I can. The shelter is located just outside of Timberdale, in the forest where I took you after our first date. There is a hatch by the tallest tree in the area, that same tree where I kissed you. It goes down about a hundred feet where there will be a contamination chamber, and then a thick steel door. I have left various weapons and ammo just in case and many commodities along with the food._

_Farewell my love_

_Steven_

"Jesus, what a fucking prick!" Cass said as soon as she finished reading. "I don't care what the hell he thought he could escape with, he should have just went there with his wife."

"No shit, what a fucking prick! I know where he is talking about. Its a nice little town. If I am not mistaken, it is on our way... We should stop through there and try to find it. Mint pre-war weapons are hard to come by let alone worth a lot of caps." Craig said with an excited tone in his voice.

"Hell yeah they are, lets do it. It is worth a shot! How far is it from here?"

"We could be there by tomorrow morning for sure."

"Perfect. We will have the whole day to look for the hatch. Lets get moving."

Cass and Craig finish looking through the rubble and begin their trek in the direction of Timberdale. What was once a thriving logging town has been reduced to a subtle village with a goal. Farming and trading. Maybe populated by a little more than a couple hundred people, they live under the NCR. They grow crops for themselves and troops and hold a small piece of the Crimson Caravan. Ran by a retired Ranger named Earl, he trades the widest variety of food for miles. Their only problem are the massive Yao Guai's. Close to a mountain festering with pack's of them, the locals cannot go a day without spotting one. Though they hunt them which brings many hides and tons of meat. And after so long of dealing with them, even the children are trained to hunt.

The sun starts to set, and a few hundred yards away they spot the worst creature imaginable. A Deathclaw. A much larger Deathclaw than the average one. An alpha male. They kneel quickly without making much noise. Craig draws his Hunting Rifle while Cass draws her AM Rifle. On three they fire. One bullet hits a shoulder while the other hits his stomach. He lets out a roar that could be heard for miles while instantly running in their direction. They begin to unload. Round after round, the beast keeps charging. Less than fifty yards away he tumbles down, shaking the ground beneath their feet. He starts to crawl using his last bit of strength.

"GOODNIGHT YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Craig yells as tosses a grenade and they quickly retreat behind a large rock. The explosion rings through the air and a mist of blood soon follows with rocks and dirt. They look up and the headless behemoth lays still. "Jesus Christ!"

"You're telling me! That bitch is huge! Wanna carve some hide?" She asks.

"After a shot?"

"Damn straight."

After a few shots off of their bottle, they begin carving into the extremely tough skin. Even the blood seemed thicker than the average Deathclaw, almost a black sludge. After they gather roughly ten pounds of pelts, they begin walking toward an old motel down the road south from where they were heading.

Only a few doors remained clear of debris or being nailed shut. They open a door and immediately see a figure on the bed in the dark room. They stand still but notice the carpet is damp. The light switch does not work. Craig draws his flashlight to see the carpet is red with blood. The figure is a nude, headless woman, tied to the bed covered in what seemed to be fresh blood.

"Oh fuck!" Cass gasps trying not to gag. She never did well with scenes like this. Craig walks closer and sees a carving in her stomach.

"True To Caesar..." His silence afterward thickened the tense emotion in the room. Cass could tell this hit close with him. He pulled the bottle of whiskey from his bag and took three very large gulps almost finishing it without his face even puckering. "Well lets find another room. Unless those fucking pricks just decided to slaughter the other tenants and call it an eviction. God damn fucking cowards." Cass was speechless and followed.

The room on the opposite end of the building was completely clean and vacant. The lights even worked.

"Hey looks like we get to spoon tonight." Craig said as he turned to Cass closing the door. He wanted to say more but he could not tell if she could even think of something like that after the horrific scene only six rooms away. Craig thought about it the entire day and realized he needed to move on. He thought about it quite often but nobody had peaked his interest. And after guarding all day, he did not want anything more than to get drunk so he could sleep until the next morning.

Cass felt a surge of emotion run through her when he said that. She wanted cuddle him on the couch the previous night when she woke up to pee, but was afraid that he would have rejected her. And she'd much rather wait than push him away.

"Looks like it." She said nervously.

"Is that okay? I could always just sleep on the couch."

"No... I would love to share this bed with you Craig." She winked at him and pulled out her bottle of whiskey.

The two drank for about an hour and talked of funny stories and witty jokes. Then in a moment of silence. He leaned in for a kiss. She reluctantly accepted it leaning towards him as well. Feeling his tongue graze hers sent chills and left goosebumps. She moaned softly as he kissed her more vigorously. He moved to nibble on her bottom lip as she then started to unbutton her plaid top. Exposing her plush breasts in a black bra, she slipped off the shirt and he moved forward to rest her on her back. He ran his hand up her thigh to begin pulling her pants down before she pushed them off herself. He could feel her warmth as he then started to rub her incredibly wet pussy. She moaned louder now pulling her lips from his so she could pull his shirt off. He sat up, undid his belt and pulled his pants off revealing a very large, very hard cock, craving to be deep inside of her. Cass grabs his shaft and rubs his head against her now swollen clit. His head leans back as the pleasure overwhelms him. She guides him to her tight little hole before he leans forward and pushes deep into her. She gasps with pleasure as they both let out a hard moan. She pulls his head to her neck as she whispers in his ear 'Fuck me Craig, I need you. He begins thrusting feeling her walls tighten with his rhythm. Her breasts bounce gracefully with each pump. He then tells her as she bites his neck 'You feel so fucking good. He starts to thrust faster and harder. Each time they both gasp with abrupt moans getting louder and louder. Cass throws her head back clenching his hips as her pussy tightens then soaks his cock with her juices. She then yells HOOOOLY SHIT DON'T STOP DON'T STOP. He is now slamming into her as she keeps getting tighter and wetter. His cock then soon erupts inside of her. Filling to the point that it seeps out of her stuffed hole in a second or two. He lets out a growl as he sgrips the sheets of the bed and continues pumping until his cock is drained.

"Holy shit Craig... I needed that so bad from you. I have wanted that since I first met you and I did not even know who you were or what you are about."

"I haven't had sex in over a year... I am glad I have waited because nothing would have even compared to that."

The two giggle and lay next to each other cooling off. They reach for their bottles, take a final shot before grabbing a sheet and drifting off to sleep.


	4. The Journey: 2

They awoke in each others arms as the sun began to rise.

"Hey you woke up with me." Craig said as he chuckled.

"It will take a little getting used to but I enjoy it. How much further until Timberdale?" She asked.

"Maybe about an hour tops... I am not sure what creatures are around here though. I have heard that Yao Guai's are popular around here though."

"A Yao what?"

"Basically a sadistic bear three times bigger and a complete savage."

"Well we have guns ammo, they can't be that tough!" Cass said with great confidence.

"I like your attitude girl... So about last night... It was amazing and everything... But what are your intentions? I am not looking for anything serious until I am settled and have a clean state of mind with these Legion fucks."

"Craig I understand. It was a night of fun and I am waiting to get settled before making commitments... Though it is nice to imagine it with you..."

"Me too... You are truly a one of a kind... But lets cross that bridge when it gets here?"

"Deal."

So the two packed up their things, got dressed and left the room. Down the road they saw a group of Cazadores feasting on the corpse of the headless Deathclaw they brought down the night before. Immediately Cass knelt down, pulled her AM Rifle, an fired off four shots quickly, dropping the Cazadores without a chance to start flying their way.

"God damn you gotta deadly aim..."

"Lots of practice with those fuckers. You can't let them get a chance to react or it becomes harder as they come towards you." Cass said casually.

"I have only seen one my whole life, scared it away with a grenade and that was it."

"You got lucky that time... Usually they are fearless. Lets go grab their poison glands."

"You go ahead... I do not do well with bugs." Cass laughed and walked towards them as he stood in the same spot. She cut out the stingers and tucked them in her bag on top of her share of the Deathclaw hide.

"COME ON SALLY!" Cass shouted at Craig laughing afterward.

"Shut up!" He replied shaking his head.

The two walked on the burned out highway and came across an old pre-war sign, indicating Timberdale was a quarter mile away. They came into the town finally and were welcomed by a Ranger Veteran.

"Howdy folks! My name is Sgt. Wilks. Most people just call me Sarge though. Welcome to Timberdale." He said with a chipper tone.

"Hello sir." Craig said. "My name is Craig, and this is Cass. We are passing through on a little scavenger hunt. What happened to the last guard, I think his name was Larry?"

"Poor L.T. The Guai's got him after he chased off some fiends from harassing some towns folk. He was a good man."

"Holy shit! How bad are they around here?" Craig asked.

"Well, we got em to stick to their forest on the other side where Ol Glory is. But every now and then, a few will come down before their hibernation cycles start. Thats when they are lookin for food... Like L.T." He said shaking his head in remorse.

"Ol Glory?" Cass asked.

"The tallest Red Wood around these parts I reckon. Right smack dab in the middle of our park. We call it Ol Glory because it survived the blasts. The new trees we planted aren't even half as tall as her and they have been there since the town restarted over a hundred years ago."

"Son of a bitch!" Craig shouted.

"Whoa partner, whats wrong?" The Ranger asked.

"We are looking for a hatch that is by that same tree." The Ranger just started laughing like it was a joke.

"Well, you are more than welcome to look around. No one has been through there in ages. But don't say I didn't warn ya!"

"Thanks!" Craig said as they walked into town. "So you still down for this Cass?"

"Of course. But lets stop and get some food. I am starving."

They went into a shanty house that just said 'Booze & Food' on the sign.

"Hey there!" Said a blonde woman behind the counter. She had four gashes on her cheek that were beginning to scar. Neither of them wanted to stare too long nor mention it. "My name is Natalie. What can I get ya? We have quite the variety of booze but at the moment we only have Brahmin steaks and baked potatoes."

"That sounds good to me." Said Cass. "Let us get two plates of them steaks and taters, two beers, and two shots of whiskey."

"No problem. That will be thirty caps. The steaks will be about twenty minutes and here are your drinks."

They pay Natalie and take their shots. They get their food and eat it quickly. They order two more shots, finish them and their beers and leave her a tip before leaving. They make a stop by the arms dealer before heading into the forest and replenish their ammo. About a hundred yards into the forest they hear a roar in the distance. They stop and listen for anything running. They only hear silence. They continue walking, then hear something running. Cass turns around with her 10mm pistol drawn and fires at the beast charging them. He gets brought down in three shots leaving a hole in the face that is now gushing blood. Craig draws his .357 at the sound of another one charging him. One shot between the eyes and he drops, skidding in the dirt a few more feet. This one was larger. Perhaps a mother. They continue walking, able to see Ol Glory in the distance.

"Just a little further." Says Cass.

After just a few feet they hear a massive roar. Cass looks to her right and sees three Guai's charging full speed. They both start firing viciously at them but they aren't falling. They keep at it and finally one falls. As the next one falls a few feet from them, the last one leaps and tackles Craig to the ground. The blood is pouring into his face and burning his eyes. It gets one good swipe to his chest before Cass' last bullet kills the beast instantly. The pain is almost unbearable as he rolls out from underneath the Guai. Shouting and cursing he grabs a bottle from his bag. A white bottle that is a couple dozen ounces. He pours it on his chest wounds and his shouting becomes louder. His skin sizzles and foams.

"What the hell is that?" Cass asks, worried that he won't be able to continue.

"My moms own recipe of anti bacterial peroxide. Hurts like hell but cleans like no other." He says trying to be a man about the pain. He stands up after a minute and insists on carrying on. "Lets get to the hatch, get in then get the hell out of here. Just remember we have to head south afterward back to town."

"No problem." Cass says. They reach the tree quickly and search for the hatch. They find it after a few minutes and open it up. They descend into the dark hole that seems to go down forever. They finally reach the bottom of the ladder when Craig draws his flashlight. They find a shower and vent with a switch below. They hit the switch and lights come on along with a hum from the vent. Its a fan to suck out any airborne bacterias from the surface. The room is all concrete with a sign. 'U.S Military Distress Bunker'. They see a large steel door with a large wheel to open it. They approach the door and enter.


	5. The End

They turn the wheel until it clicks and stops. They tug on the door but it won't budge. Finally it begins to open and they get overwhelmed by a foul stench that gags both of them but they keep pulling. The smell gets stronger and Cass lets go. She runs to the corner and begins to vomit.

"My fucking nose is burning. What is that?"

"Many years of rotting and fermenting..." He says, trying not to gag again. He gets the door open all the way but it won't stay. "Is there anything we can put under the door to keep it open? We need to air it out before we go in."

"Here is a chunk of concrete. From the floor." She says handing it to him. He puts it in front of the door and it holds. Its dark in the next room but obviously they had died in there for some reason. After a few shots to drown out the stench they are ready to head in. They find the light switch and the lights come on with a buzzing.

There is nothing in the room. In the far corner, there is a skeleton. Between the legs, there is a very small skeleton of an infant. Margaret must have died from the birth resulting in her child dying shortly after. There were no racks or trunks. No empty boxes from food that would have been there. They go to the next room, turn on the light and just as the previous room, its empty. Then all of a sudden the other door slams shut.

"The concrete must have slipped or something." Said Cass.

"WHAT THE FUCK! This is fucking bullshit! We travel out of the way, almost die and for what? NOTHING! GOD DAMMIT!" Craig's face is now red with anger.

"Craig, I understand but it is okay. Lets just get out of here, go get some drinks and a room and we will head to Little Bear in the morning. It will only take a few days." He takes a deep breath, apologizes and heads to the door. But the wheel will not turn.

"Cass? What the fuck. Its not turning."

"Try pushing." She says in a helpful worried tone.

"No shit I am. Its fucking stuck or something. Oh my fucking god!" He tries pushing harder than he was pulling outside. But it is no use. They are stuck.

Steven Fettel was not happy with how his life had turned out. He had settled for Margaret when his original fiance walked out on him. He had always resented her because his fiance suspected him of cheating on her with Margaret. Then one night after a long night at the bar he slept with her, resulting in her getting pregnant. His family would not let him just run away from the situation. He was planning her demise, until the Vault Program came about. It was perfect. He would send her down to his families bomb shelter, since everyone he knew got accepted in. Margaret was also accepted. He also knew there were supplies already there, so he cleared them out and sold them before he wrote the note to her. He had also broke the mechanism used to open the door from the inside. The wheel would turn but not open. After him and his family descended into the vault, remorse started to set in. Three days later, he shot himself in the shower in his room. He had left a note, apologizing for his actions and asked to have Margaret rescued, but the Overseer would not allow a team to leave. To this day no one has ever left Vault 147.

"What the fuck did this guy do? He sent his pregnant wife down here with nothing at all? I understand if he did not want to come back for her but he could have left SOMETHING for her." Cass said, beginning to tear up at the sight of the two skeletons.

"I am sure the bastard got what was coming to him. This is all just sickening. And now I don't know what the hell we are gonna do."

"Well, we have two bottles of whiskey left... Wanna get drunk?" Cass asked him, rocking the bottle in his direction.

"Hell why not. We will figure this shit out after some rest." The two of them start sippin off the bottle. Anxiety starts to set in after every shot. One thing Craig has not told Cass is he was put in a situation like this as a young boy. Him and a friend had stole something from a local merchant and their parents found out. His friend only got heavy chores as a punishment. Craig's father however, threw him into a dark cellar. There was nothing in there except a cot. He was left in there for five days. He had just laid on the bed for the last two days and finally passed out from dehydration. His father pulled him out when he called for him and didn't answer. After his mother found out what he did to their son, she took him and left to another town. He has not seen his father since then, he doen't even know if he is alive. So being locked in this room began to wear on him, and the alcohol made it worse.

"We need to get the fuck out of here. I don't like this." Said Craig, pacing back and forth in the room. Cass had remained calm, and is now too drunk to stand, let alone try to find a way out.

"Craig it is okay, we will get some rest and find-"

"You don't fucking get it. I need to get out NOW!"

"Okay... Just... Calm down... I am sure there is a way." They search around the two rooms, and their only options are the vents. "Do you still have any grenades?" He checks his bag and there are none.

"No... I used my last one. That guy in Timberdale was out." The vents are just holes in the ceiling with bars crossing them. Craig shines his flashlight in the holes and and sees they are filled with more concrete. If they do not find a way out they will eventually just run out of oxygen.

"Fuck this. I am gonna lay down. If you find a way out, wake me up." Cass says to him frustrated. She lays her jacket down and rests her head on her bag.

She awakes several hours later by a gunshot. She rushes to the other room to find Craig laid out in a pool of his blood and chunks of brain. He tried everything he could think of. Trying to find weak spots in the walls, cracks in the floors, nothing. After three hours, frustration and anxiety take over and he shoots himself. Cass begins crying next to him. There is nothing she can do. She reaches for her bottle, its empty. She goes to grab his and finds it broken in the corner. She sits down against the wall and thinks about everything she has been through, but can't bring herself to commit suicide. She would rather die from asphyxiation than shoot herself.

After a few hours of sitting and crying, she hears something on the outside of the door. A voice then calls out. 'Hello? She runs to the door shouting and screaming to open the door. 'Hello? The voice calls again. She yells that she is trapped and can't open the door. Its silent for a minute then the voice calls out again even louder. 'HELLO? Cass becomes angry and kicks the door as hard as she can. She sits back against the wall again, and then lifts her head up. Sweaty and short of breath, she realizes she has been asleep. Its harder to breathe than before and it starts to give her a headache. She begins panicking. She stands up and becomes incredibly light headed and her vision blurs. She starts to pace back and forth. Each breath becomes more and more shallow. Pretty soon she starts blacking out and coming to in different parts of the room. More tears start to run down her cheeks, knowing she will be dead in a matter of minutes. More blackouts occur. She comes to sitting on the floor, then the next thing she knows she is standing again. Her vision is now growing darker. She is starting to go insane. She has one more blackout, and comes to. This time she is holding her Pistol to her skull. She thinks to herself that this is a lot better than what has been happening. One last tear rolls down her cheek, and thinks about her father one last time. She closes her eyes, and pulls the trigger.

Cass has always thought about what happens when you die. She has heard various tales of what happens, but there is no conscious of her left. Her body is laid out on the floor in a pool of blood just like Craig's. She sees no light, no heaven nor hell. She literally sees nothing. The last petal of the rose, has finally wilted.

The End


End file.
